


Map to the Stars

by Pondermoniums



Series: A/B/O Haikyuu One Shots [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha Iwaizumi Hajime, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bonding, Childhood Friends, Dark Flashback, Double Date, Dubious Consent, Festival, Fluff and Smut, Lightshow, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Oikawa Tooru, Omega Verse, One Shot, Scent Marking, Summer, Teenage Bullying, Tokyo (City), Tsunderes, Yukata - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2016-11-17
Packaged: 2018-08-08 09:47:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7752793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pondermoniums/pseuds/Pondermoniums
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oikawa and Iwaizumi, continued from <i>How It Works</i>, but an independent story.</p><p>As Iwaizumi and Oikawa get swept up in a summer festival, memories of summers' past enliven the present, and set sights on the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I should call this the series of flashbacks lol Rape doesn't happen but similar to _Alpha and a Hard Place_ Oikawa and Iwaizumi's back story has a dark shadow over it.

Oikawa Tooru yawned while reaching his hands behind his head. He laced his fingers together and stretched, feeling his spine pop. On the opposite side of the lobby, he could hear Karasuno chirping over something. “Kaw kaw kaw, so noisy,” he sighed.

“I’m not sure you’re the person to criticize,” Iwaizumi Hajime said beside him.

“I’m only loud in bed, Iwa-chan.”

That earned a smirk from him, but Iwaizumi just as readily responded, “Our kingly kouhai seems to be doing well.”

“Don’t make me laugh. Royalty doesn’t cope well in the company of garbage crows and cats.”

“So you agree that he deserves the title,” Iwaizumi trapped.

“I didn’t—” the door out of the events center shut on his heel, making him jump before he caught up with Iwaizumi. “What do you mean he deserves the title?”

“Don’t pretend you didn’t notice,” the alpha said indifferently. “The way he talks is different. He actually sounds intelligent. The coaches really liked him. Unlike someone.”

Oikawa scoffed. “So mean. You’re only mean to me.”

“It’s for your benefit.”

“Ughmf.” Oikawa’s whine halted when he stepped behind Iwaizumi and planted his chin on the alpha’s shoulder. Iwaizumi was not significantly shorter, but enough so that his shoulders were a nice place to land.

“Get off.”

“My crown is heavy.”

“Then give it to Tobio-san.”

“Never.”

“I thought you didn’t like being the Grand King? We’re outside, people are looking.”

“Don’t mind. It’s because I’m pretty.”

He was not wrong. As they strolled through Tokyo towards Kichijoji women of all ages turned as if their eyes were magnetized. Mothers cooed amongst each other over how fine a man he looked and younger women giggled behind their hands.

“I want milk bread,” Oikawa said, uninterested in humoring their flirtations today. “And bubble tea.”

“You’re going to get cavities.”

“Will you hold my hand in the dentist’s chair?”

“No.”

“What did I ever do to deserve you, Iwa-chan?” he sassed, finally lifting his head to fish his wallet and train card out of his pockets. They descended into the underground of Tokyo, and he supposed it was a relaxed hour for the transportation network but it was hard to tell by how many people were here.

Oikawa’s brows lifted when he felt an arm behind his waist. “Don’t get lost, Assikawa,” he murmured, tugging Oikawa close.

“Iwa, are you flirting with me?” Oikawa grinned. Iwaizumi’s permanent scowl rested on his lips as he strode through the barrier. Oikawa scanned his card and skipped through. “Let’s go on a date.”

“Are you out of money?”

“Why? Do you want to be a gentleman?”

“I’m keeping a debtor’s log.”

“Iwa-chan!”

A different voice cut through the crowd as the pair waited on the platform for the train. “Oi! Don’t leave without us!”

Their teammates Kyotani Kentaro and Yahaba Shigeru joined them, the latter looking annoyed whereas the former always looked disgruntled. Oikawa clenched his arm around Kyotani’s neck, yanking him close. The action was overly familiar but effectively wiped his scowl off his face to replace it with shock. “Yahoo, pup. How’d you like the game? Feeling inspired?”

He released the young alpha and then said with a wide grin on his face, “We’re going on a date. So scram.”

Oikawa had gained an audience, but Iwaizumi suspected it was more out of his treatment of the Mad Dog instead of his looks this time. Kyotani was so blatantly _alpha_ it was almost ridiculous. From his furrowed brows to his athletic shoes, he was nothing but sinew and aggression to the eyes around him. Of course any time spent with him yielded a surprisingly quiet, thoughtful and ambitious person.

Yahaba was quite the opposite: he was handsome like Oikawa but shorter, so people suspected he was omega. As soon as he opened his mouth, he was bossy and forward, but his intelligence made up for it.

“Date where?” Kyotani ventured.

“Aw, are we doubling?” Oikawa teased.

Kyotani only blinked and looked away, whereas Yahaba scoffed, “We’re starving and you two come into town the most. You know the best places. And you owe me wakashi, Oikawa-chan.”

“Your damn sweet tooth,” Iwaizumi scolded behind him a moment before the train screeched its arrival. Ducking under the doorframe, there were enough empty seats near each other for three of them. Iwaizumi led the way toward them, but instead of sitting, he gripped the handle above and gestured with his eyes for Oikawa to take it. He gladly did and opened his knees so his leg could touch Iwaizumi’s.

Yahaba sat next to him but then looked up at Kyotani grasping a handle as well. “You can sit down,” he summoned, but Kyotani only looked down at the seat, and then watched the underground go by through the glass.

“ _Udon?_ ” Oikawa whined when they exited the station and turned left. The slim alley was nothing but udon and ramen restaurants. “Why not tonkatsu?”

“They have more than noodles,” Iwaizumi growled, impatiently holding the door of his chosen place for them.

Oikawa’s head sagged backwards as Yahaba pushed him through. Entering the restaurant was like entering a bubble of finery. The various aromas of the city fusing together from the humidity vanished to be replaced with cool, dim air. The trickling of a water feature brought Oikawa’s gaze to the rock wall on which water was rustling down between vivid orchids standing on shelves on either side of it. The tables were lacquered to look like expensive red wood and tea candles floated in water on the tables.

Oikawa whirled around with a gleam in his eye. “Well played, Iwa-chan.”

“Shut up and pick a table. You’re blocking the entryway,” Iwaizumi muttered.

Oikawa lithely lowered himself onto a chair and watched the others take sides of the table. He overlapped Iwaizumi’s leg underneath the table while he grinned up at their waitress. “What do you recommend? Anything but noodles.”

She had not even greeted them yet but she stood shell-shocked for a moment, confronted with Oikawa’s full force. “The udon without broth is quite nice, but um…our adegashi tofu is really good, and the we have a special foreign menu. The bibimbap is quite good. And the pasta with pesto.”

“Bibimbap sounds lovely,” he charmed. “He’ll take the tofu.”

She managed to tear her gaze over to Iwaizumi, who nodded once along with, “Barley tea, please.”

“Make it two,” Oikawa seconded sweetly.

Yahaba and Kyotani ordered and then they were left to their own devices before the food arrived. Yahaba mentioned that their coach had planned to watch the game on television and was probably planning a hellish week of practices. 

“Who cares if you get better?” Oikawa countered indifferently.

“Wake up for practice before you say that,” Iwaizumi scolded.

“I’m being encouraging! And it’s easy for you to be nonchalant when you have the most endurance out of all of us.”

Yahaba voiced his agreement. “Coach loves you. You take everything he gives and then keep going.”

“I hear bitterness in your tone,” Oikawa teased. “Why don’t the alphas have a trial of strength?”

Iwaizumi frowned but Yahaba appeared puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“An arm wrestle?” Oikawa suggested. “You shouldn’t cause too much damage with that.”

“First,” Kyotani declared, setting his elbow on the table opposite Iwaizumi. Oikawa slid the miniature pond and tea candle out of the way and collected the beverages from the waitress who somehow thought all four drinks went to him.

He sipped his tea as Yahaba counted down. To his credit, Kyotani lasted a minute against Iwaizumi, but his elder not only set his fist on the table, but he had enough control do it softly.

“Kawaii kouhai,” Oikawa chimed as Yahaba switched seats with the defeated. Setting his tea down, he rested his chin on the bases of his palms. “Three…two…”

He peeked at Iwaizumi, whose eyes flicked toward Kyotani. “One. Go.”

Oikawa watched Kyotani, who glared at their clasped hands, examining the distribution of strength in their forearms like he was studying for later. Occasionally he looked up at the men wrestling, but the moment he looked back down Oikawa leaned over to blow air into Iwaizumi’s ear.

His head jerked and Yahaba thunked his fist against the table. Iwaizumi covered his ear and sent an inquiring glare toward Oikawa, who jovially announced Yahaba the winner with his eyes on Kyotani. Their teammate was not much for expressions other than anger but he exhibited something as close to shock as he could. His eyes were on Yahaba’s hand, as if waiting for it to reveal a secret.

Afterwards they ate and left to explore so Oikawa could make good on his promise to Yahaba. They finally found a vendor selling the traditional sweets when they looked down a street and discovered a summer festival happening. Oikawa handed over a ball of mango and white bean wrapped in a leaf for easy handling while he had another for himself. “Now go away.”

“Fine. Fine,” Yahaba drawled. He took the stick of dango from the vendor for Kyotani and beckoned him along. “Let’s leave the gross captains to their date.”

Iwaizumi was already munching on his dango, three rice cakes smothered in sweet soy sauce. Oikawa preferred the kind wrapped in seaweed but he bit into his mango dessert before he said, “We should have brought yukata.”

“We didn’t know this was happening.”

“There’s a festival every weekend in the summer. We should have known. You think we can buy some real quick?”

“Do you know what yukata cost?” Iwaizumi asked bluntly.

“We can find a pair of cheap ones. It’s not like we need a lavish obi or anything. I say you’d look cool in a charcoal black one. Maybe dark blue…There!”

Iwaizumi sighed. Leave it to Oikawa to spot the only yukata shop within twenty miles that was entirely obscured by vender’s awnings. He followed his captain into the shop only to immediately regret it. The old women running the place were already cooing over him, and it did not even look like they sold male raiment here—

“Iwa-chan! I found them!”

Of course he did.

By the time Iwaizumi pushed through the racks of fabric to the furthermost wall, Oikawa was waiting with two in hand. “Hm…I actually like this white one. Your hair’s so dark it will be nice.”

Iwaizumi glanced over the stark white one and just from his expression alone, Oikawa set it back on the shelf, but not before Iwaizumi saw the back. “Wait, pull that out again.”

Oikawa silently lifted his brows but did so. On the back of the white yukata was a vibrant koi fish embroidered in various greens. “That one for you.”

Oikawa pouted. “It’s so much like our volleyball uniforms—”

Iwaizumi was not amused.

“—Fine. But you’re wearing this one.”

For a second Iwaizumi thought he had grabbed the most random thing his hand could land on. It could have been a woman’s obi for all he knew, but once Oikawa brought it out of its shelf, Iwaizumi’s expression opened. Matte black like charcoal, the yukata had a red chrysanthemum outlined in blue thread on the back.

“Nice and expensive,” Oikawa chimed, and with a flourish he disappeared inside the changing room. Iwaizumi glanced at the tag, but it was not as bad as he imagined. He considered it and realized his only yukata was a brown hand-me-down of his father’s aside from the ones he had outgrown.

Sliding the curtain over the changing room, he kept his underwear on while he cinched the tie around his waist, making sure to have the seam around his ankles level and that it was properly folded over his chest. He was checking the tie when he emerged from the cubicle and found Oikawa being fawned over while he turned round and around in the mirror. Iwaizumi realized he was not so much admiring himself as turning against the hands reaching toward him.

“Let us retie this part,” one of the women encouraged. “There is a special knot that looks like a flower but holds strong all day.”

Iwaizumi stepped forward. “Thank you, aunties, but we’re in a bit of a rush.”

“Aunties! Oh ho!” they twittered, suddenly finding new appeal in Iwaizumi. The break allowed Oikawa to escape and convince one of the other shopkeepers to give them canvas sacks in which to carry their clothes for free. The last thing they pushed on him was a coil of brass shaped like a horseshoe. Iwaizumi and Oikawa stared at it before the latter managed to ask politely. “A hair band?”

The woman nodded and reached forward herself to slide it over his ears and flip his hair off his face. “You will want to see the lights. Too much hair is in the way.”

It was only the afternoon when they escaped the shop, but Oikawa wiped his forehead of sweat. “That wasn’t a bad idea. How do I look?”

“All right,” Iwaizumi conceded after a glance.

“I know, too blinding for your gaze,” he sassed.

Oikawa felt that warmth around his waist again and let himself be pulled by the alpha. “Why did you blow in my ear?” Iwaizumi asked after a time.

Oikawa pushed air through his lips so they flapped. “Don’t pretend like you don’t see how Kyotani-chan looks at you. It would be annoying if I didn’t agree with what he sees. You mean you weren’t going to let Yahaba win?”

There was a pause before Iwaizumi replied, “I hadn’t decided yet.”

The crowd passing through the street opened up, and Iwaizumi took his arm off of Oikawa. He watched the alpha, seeing the softness in his eyes remain while he descended deep in thought. This time he grasped the muscle of Iwaizumi’s forearm to guide him over to a line of games meant for children, but he paid the yen and knelt over a bucket of what looked like rubber bouncing balls. He was given a paddle of rice paper and a cup, challenged to scoop as many balls into the cup before the paper soaked through.

Iwaizumi watched him achieve enough balls to earn him a tiny soft vinyl Pikachu, but then Oikawa became preoccupied with helping the other kids. A small alpha boy was enamored with his Pikachu and wanted one for himself, which he managed with Oikawa’s help, but he handed his own figurine to a smaller omega girl shyly watching him.

“Why’d you give it to her and not the other kid?” Iwaizumi asked when he finally stood up, stretching his legs.

“She asked for it, and she looks like Iwa-chan.”

The alpha blinked and glanced back. Sure enough, she had short black hair but it laid obediently flat on her head with a beautiful glossy sheen. Iwaizumi’s gaze turned back around when the crowd closed around them again and Oikawa’s fingers found his, lacing together so they did not separate while he shrugged through the festival attendants.

Iwaizumi’s mind drifted as he watched the back of Oikawa’s head, the soft chestnut tresses swishing behind the headband as he moved—

A piece of paper flapped in front of his face. “There are fireworks later!” Oikawa sang. “Let’s get a hotel and stay to watch them!”

“We have practice tomorrow,” he reminded.

“Not until the evening,” Oikawa assured. “It’s good to escape to the city for things other than games.”

And then he felt himself tugged forward once more, pliant to the omega’s wants, though Iwaizumi frowned as readily as he smiled at the grip on his hand. Captain Oikawa Tooru, Aoba Johsai’s reigning omega. As Iwaizumi watched others notice him, he knew what they all were thinking: _Oh, he’s nice to look at. What a nice alpha. They don’t make ‘em like that often enough. He has a good set to his eyes, makes him look polite. Nice smile too. He’s obviously athletic, he's so lanky…_

And why shouldn’t they think so? Oikawa was attractive. The problem was usually Oikawa knew it. But there had been things that took him longer to learn.

The crowd opened again. “Oikawa. Hand.” Iwaizumi wagged their clasped hands, but Oikawa’s grip stiffened, inducing Iwaizumi to find where his gaze was. Oikawa was staring straight ahead but his smile was gone. Iwaizumi’s ears pricked with what he was hearing and followed the voices until he found a tall alpha female watching them closely.

“He’s pretty,” she had said.

“Who’s pretty?” her companion had asked, looking around.

Her made up lips parted to answer but she felt eyes on her, and found Iwaizumi’s glare. She met the challenge but he blew her off, looking away in order to cross behind Oikawa, whispering something not for the sake of talking but so his lips moved across Oikawa’s nape. His arm slid around Oikawa's waist, uncharacteristically affectionate in the open space.

“No one,” he heard the female declare. “Never mind.”

Oikawa was quiet, accepting Iwaizumi’s hand on his other side. It was the quietest they had been all day until Iwaizumi found a copy of the flyer Oikawa had waved in front of him. “The fireworks are in Yoyogi!”

At Oikawa’s inquiring look Iwaizumi elaborated, “That’s twenty minutes away by taxi. Without traffic.”

Then there it was. The smile. “We have all afternoon to walk there. Maybe coach will let us out of running laps if we walk so much.”

“He’ll make you run more if you try that,” Iwaizumi warned, but the tension was gone. Turns out the festival sporadically extended all the way to Yoyogi Park by using the back streets instead of the major thoroughfares. By the time they meandered into the park Oikawa had somehow managed to collect three hair ornaments and a cone of blackberry shaved ice for Iwaizumi without paying a cent. For dinner Oikawa accepted a box of ramen since a vendor was selling it at the top of a hill where everyone was already settling down for the fireworks show.

Iwaizumi lowered himself carefully over the small coverlet someone had left behind and handed Oikawa his box and chopsticks. The omega dived in as if he was ravenous and perked up, “Oh! These onions are sweet. Here, Iwa-chan.”

The alpha lifted his gaze because the chunk of onion in front of him was hard to avoid. His lips were already parted and a drop of sauce fell on his lip from where Oikawa held it aloft. His jaws spread open and his lips closed over the chopsticks. It was sweet.

Iwaizumi’s dark eyes lifted and found Oikawa watching him closely, his own lips parted hungrily. “Iwa—”

“When it gets dark. Not now.”

Oikawa leaned back on his seat and Iwaizumi realized how close he’d come. “Stingy,” he grumbled, but ate his ramen contently.

As twilight began to descend, space on the lawn dwindled and the population of children to adults somehow multiplied. Laughing and chasing one another, more than once they nearly collided with either Oikawa or Iwaizumi. But the former helped them up or the latter offered an arm before sending them on their way. A beta took a liking to Oikawa, of course, but then they fell in Iwaizumi’s lap by accident and the alpha gently set them on the coverlet. The beta stared up at him. Iwaizumi was not quite sure whether the kid was a boy or girl, but he did not really care either. The kid stared so long he did not know what to do other than offer one of his own sweet onions. Their mouth opened limply, wide eyes fixated on him before their small mouth closed around sweet and savory.

Those eyes squinted over a grin while they chewed. The beta managed to chime something like, “Ittedakimasu.”

Oikawa watched Iwaizumi interact with the child with a soft smile on his face, softer than he had worn all day. The alpha had that permanent scowl in his eyes, making it always somewhat of a surprise how he was good with kids; a nice reminder that Iwaizumi had always been good and it was not just a learned skill for Oikawa’s sake.

*******

Because Oikawa could be a handful. He had not known that until he first met Iwaizumi Hajime, but even as a child, the alpha spoke his mind as bluntly as ever. 

He had not known a lot of things. He knew the parental forces in his life could have done a better job of this but he did not blame them in the least. He had eyes in his head. He knew what he looked like. But his appearance was not something he had expected to be the cause of how other people treated him.

Oikawa remembered sucking on an ice pop on a day like this several years ago, halfheartedly listening to people fawning over him. _Oh look at you…You’re so pretty. Who’s so pretty?_

_“Ew. Stop poking at him like he’s a cat, grannie.”_

The woman who had been speaking startled indignantly. _“Grannie!”_

The boy glared sullenly up at her. _“You’re old. That makes you a grannie. Come on.”_

The boy had grabbed Oikawa’s hand and pulled him right off the swings. Oikawa had glanced back at his mother to make sure this was okay but she waved him away while she consoled the insulted women.

_“Over here. This is my castle.”_

Oikawa followed him to the highest platform in the jungle gym, where the boy planted his hands on his hips with pride. _“Who are you?”_ Oikawa asked, his legs swinging over the fake rock wall.

He jumped slightly when one of those hands shot out, fingertips nearly hitting between his eyes. _“Iwaizumi Hajime. Welcome to my castle.”_

Oikawa laughed. _“Can I play here?”_

The boy, Hajime, with his short hair going in all directions puffed his lip out in deep thought. _“For a toll.”_

Oikawa’s jaw dropped. _“A toll? Stingy!”_

He lurched back when the pad of a finger pushed against his nose. _“I was gonna ask for your name, Baka-kawa, but those grannies kept saying it over and over.”_

_“I’m not Baka-kawa!”_

_“You are Baka-kawa,”_ Iwaizumi countered. _“You let those old ladies treat you like a pet or something! It’s weird.”_

Oikawa’s features opened. _“Weird?”_

Iwaizumi pivoted to examine him. _“You must not have pets so you can’t tell the difference. My grannie neighbor has a cat and she talks to it like those ladies were talking to you. Just because they give you sweets doesn’t mean they should do that.”_

Oikawa processed that, his eyes lowering to his ice pop. _“Do you want some?”_

Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed. _“No. It’s yours.”_

_“But I’m offering you some.”_

_“You’ve been licking all over it. I don’t want any.”_

_“It’s not dirty!”_ Oikawa stood up.

 _“I said I don’t wan—”_ Iwaizumi’s eyes widened at the ice plug to his words. All he could process was orange and _cold._ He wailed in pain but the next day Oikawa showed up with two ice pops.

 _“I’m sorry Iwa-chan,”_ he said, but his expression seemed mostly annoyed that he had to apologize, but his smile had blossomed when Iwaizumi accepted it and pulled him to his castle. And when the old women found him and cooed _Who’s pretty?_ Iwaizumi had blushed garnet when the boy all but screamed, _“Iwa-chan’s pretty!”_

Thinking back, Iwaizumi should have taken that first day as an omen. Most of their conversation consisted of arguments that ended in one of them apologizing just as often as the other. Initially they were playmates on their neighborhood playground but before he knew it, Iwaizumi was caught in the summer before middle school, trying on matching uniforms alongside Oikawa. He already had the warmth of an alpha on him but that was to be expected from a family of alphas. Nothing changed otherwise. Every Saturday he helped his neighbor water her plants and clean her floors since her spine was deteriorating and Oikawa got in the habit of joining him, if only to play with her cat while Iwaizumi worked.

 _“Your friend is sweet,”_ she had said once when Oikawa left early to actually do something productive like homework.

_“It’s because he eats too much sugar.”_

That made her laugh. If he had not spent his entire life knowing her age, Iwaizumi would not have thought her laugh belonged to an old woman. _“I hope you continue to look after him.”_

 _“Someone has to,”_ Iwaizumi remembered saying in a strained voice, reaching up to dust her hanging plants. _“He’s too gullible for his own good.”_

She chuckled beneath her breath. _“Not gullible so much as omega.”_

Iwaizumi landed on his heels and looked at her. _“Omega?”_

Her cat jumped onto her lap so she nodded without looking at him. _“I should know my own kind, shouldn’t I?”_

That lower lip puffed out when he was thinking hard on something. _“I didn’t know you were omega. I didn’t know anyone was.”_

He immediately regretted saying that when she guffawed. _“We’re not legends, sweet heart.”_

_“But he’s already taller than me. Alphas are taller.”_

She shook her head lightly, readjusting the fall of her pale fringe. _“Not necessarily. I was taller than my husband and all of our children, some of them alphas—”_

The doorbell rang. _“Oh, that’s one of them now. Get that, will you?”_

He did, and stared up into the dark eyes of an alpha of medium height and strikingly lanky build. He had dyed his hair a startling shade of mint and he grinned down at him. The old woman had risen and he leaned around Iwaizumi to kiss her cheek. _“So this is why your chores are always done when I come by. You shouldn’t harass the local wildlife, mama.”_

Iwaizumi frowned but shut the door. He already heard someone tinkering around in the kitchen, but when he turned around, it was the alpha who was putting together tea and snacks. Iwaizumi knew this was probably his cue to leave but this alpha was unlike anyone in his family. He was shorter and skinnier and artistically flamboyant instead of standing with an athletic stature. And he was…nice. Not to say Iwaizumi’s family was unkind but this alpha’s behavior made Iwaizumi think of his beta classmates. He could already imagine Oikawa standing on his toes at the counter, watching the alpha like an idol.

However Iwaizumi never saw the alpha again, because summer sped by and then he was in junior high. The opening ceremony was not anything memorable but the environment was entirely different than primary school. They had senpais already in the rush of puberty to look up to so there were priorities and hierarchies that Iwaizumi and Oikawa had never been aware of before.

But they learned quickly. Oikawa and Iwaizumi had already settled on walking home together before the first week unfolded, and for the most part they were too preoccupied with acclimating to the new study material before clubs and sports started up. Oikawa watched as club members flocked to Iwaizumi, trying to recruit him even though he was already staunchly ready for volleyball. Of course he was already signed for the team as well but it was quite odd to not be the center of attention for once. In a way it was relieving, but in another it was upsetting because he kept hearing terms like _alpha_ and _alpha strength_ and he did not understand since he was taller and just as good as Iwaizumi.

On Friday Oikawa was gathering his notebooks into his bag, excited to finally go shopping for his new volleyball shoes with Iwaizumi since practice started soon—

_“Hey. You’re new, right?”_

Oikawa was between the lockers, one shoe closer to meeting Iwaizumi at the school gate. _“Yeah?”_

The girl was obviously a senpai and she smiled down at him. _“You’re cuter up close. I just wanted to let you know that you can come to me if you have any questions.”_

Oikawa blinked, unsure when she had seen him, because he had never seen her. But he grinned. _“Thanks!”_

 _“Don’t keep him to yourself,”_ someone interjected. Oikawa startled to find another senpai right behind him.

 _“I’m just offering my services,”_ the former explained, stepping forward. _“Kouhais need us. The cute ones the most.”_

Iwaizumi sighed on the other side of the gate. What was taking that idiot so long? The school wasn’t _that_ big, so he could not have gotten lost. Knowing Tooru, he would have gone to look at the gymnasium, trying to get a peek at the upper class men practicing before the season started.

Sighing again, he shouldered his bag and went to go look for him. The gym was only on the other side of the school, but when he got there, no one was there, not even a coach’s assistant.

Coming back around, Iwaizumi peeked around the gate, but Oikawa was not there waiting for him. Had he gone home?

No. As dense as he could be, Oikawa kept his word. Maybe a teacher had kept him late?

Iwaizumi trudged back up to the school, aiming for his locker so he could switch shoes _again—_

_“Stop pushing, alpha! I was here first!”_

Iwaizumi rounded the row of lockers and found quite a gathering of girls, upper and lower class men alike.

_“Oikawa-kun can’t be bothered with all of us! So just leave him to the alphas!”_

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. Even children were attracted to him like bees to—

A high-pitched yelp sounded, rooting Iwaizumi to the floor, following by, _“Oh! Wow, do you think he’ll be omega?”_

What.

_“You can’t tell from just that. You need to see if he can make a knot.”_

Iwaizumi’s eyes felt as if they were going to fall out of his head. Tell? Tell what? What were they doing to see a…

A longer scream reached his ears and Iwaizumi barreled through the girls like they were hanging rags. They cried out, falling except for one: a tall alpha who knelt over a trembling, sobbing Oikawa with his pants down. His hands were covering his face, trying and failing to block them all.

Iwaizumi growled, _“You’re worse than the hags.”_ But before she could turn around, he had a hand in her hair, and was wrenching her backward.

Instead of losing her footing, she stood up easily, and growled down at him. _“Hands off, kouhai. I’m alpha.”_

He roared in her face, not caring that she was taller or older. Whatever she saw blew her pupils wide. _“So am I.”_

The girls scattered, running away as fast as they could. One of the alpha’s friends had the sense to grab her friend and yank her away from Iwaizumi. By the time they were all gone he heard a choked, _“Iwa?”_

Oikawa was peeking through his fingers. His legs began to fold towards himself, trying to cover himself with the only shield he had. _“Iwa-chan?”_

 _“Come on…we’ve got to get shoes,”_ Iwaizumi remembered saying. He did not know why he said it. He remembered pulling Oikawa to his feet as if he weighed nothing.

This scared him. Oikawa leaned into him, light and pliant, except his hands never moved from his face. _“Your…your pants…”_ Iwaizumi had said, but the boy was too shocked to do anything. Iwaizumi had pulled them up, fastened his belt, and taken his hand to go home.

Well, almost.

 _“I’m sorry,”_ Oikawa sniffled.

Iwaizumi was silent beside him.

 _“I’m sorry…”_ Oikawa tried again. _“I’m sorry, Hajime-kun…”_

And then he wailed into the evening, not giving Iwaizumi the time to process his name on Oikawa’s lips. _“Sshh! Shush, shush! Don’t cry. Eh…hush, you’re so loud…”_ he tried to console, but failed miserably.

 _“Hajime-kun!”_ he cried. Iwaizumi tried to muffle him against his shoulder but he might have sacrificed some of his hearing instead. _“Hajime…”_

His hand fell heavily on Oikawa’s head, patting and stroking the soft cowlicks while he cried and cried. Until he didn’t cry, and Iwaizumi’s hand halted in mid-air at the sound of Oikawa’s words. _“What?”_

Surely he had not heard correctly. Oikawa was not _that_ dumb…

_“Bite me.”_

Iwaizumi grabbed his shoulders and held him at arms’ length. _“You’re insane!”_

 _“No I’m not,”_ Oikawa said flatly, his eyes sunken.

 _“You are!”_ Iwaizumi exclaimed, feeling panic rise high in his chest. _“You don’t bite—there—unless it’s important!”_

 _“It is important,”_ Oikawa said quietly, monotone. _“You were right. People treat me like I’m…like I’m a pet or something. I thought it was because I look like this but…I don’t know if I’m going to be omega or not, but I thought people respected omegas. Those girls…didn’t. They didn’t stop. If I’m going to be…I can’t do this anymore. I won’t survive.”_

 _“You’re being dramatic,”_ Iwaizumi shot back. Even in his ears his voice sounded high pitched and foreign.

 _“You don’t treat me differently,”_ he continued in that deflated voice. It was not Oikawa; it was so far from the bubbly, talkative and argumentative boy he had played kings and castles and searched for constellations with that Iwaizumi did not know what to do.

_“You’ve never treated me differently. It’s okay if it’s you.”_

It was too much. Iwaizumi could do nothing but shake his head frantically. Eventually Oikawa asked, _“You don’t like me?”_

He shook his head some more before he erupted, _“Of course I like you, Baka-kawa! I hate how those girls act. How all of them look at you. All the time! You’re not pretty, you’re beautiful and you’re needy and you smell nice but you’re taller than me and I can’t—”_

He clapped his hands over his face rather painfully, startling Oikawa. _“I don’t want to be like them. I can’t mark you as mine.”_

He pulled his hands downward, revealing the reds under his eyes. _“We need to go home—”_

With the resolve he still head, he turned to continue home, but Oikawa all but jumped on him. Threads popped as his uniform shirt was yanked aside, and Oikawa chomped down _hard_ on his scent gland. Iwaizumi screamed, thrashing and collapsing to the ground with Oikawa on top of him. A tingling, burning sensation flushed through the muscle of his neck, dripping and rushing through his veins and making the back of his head and muscles of his back go numb. Everything ached dully until Oikawa unclenched his jaws and clumsily stood up. Iwaizumi raised a hand to the gland, and his fingers came away red.

_“YOU IDIOT!”_

Oikawa took off running, shouting behind him, _“You’re too scared to be my alpha so I’ll make you mine, Iwa-chan!”_

He chased the idiot all the way home but by the time Iwaizumi reached the gate of his house he was exhausted and swaying on his feet. His body felt too hot and it was not until the end of the weekend that he realized he had fainted and his mother had kept him home because of a fever.

And then his rut started.

He only missed three days of school but it was the most exhausting three days of his life. He was not unfamiliar with masturbation but this was something else entirely. His body was too hot and because Oikawa had bitten him he felt Oikawa’s scent rising up to surround him with every wave of lust. As angry as Iwaizumi was with him, he came more times with Tooru’s name in his pillow than he ever cared to admit.

This scared him. He never thought he would be afraid of Oikawa Tooru, but when he finally returned to school and his best friend threw his arms around him, full of concern, he was angry and terrified. The idiot had made a quick decision to protect himself and never bothered to think about what it would mean for Iwaizumi. Now he was forced to endure his own heats without the mate that had claimed him and he could not ever hope to get another one who would relieve the ache in his core and the growing one in his heart.

It made everything worse that Oikawa only blossomed more and more. He was not just easy on the eyes, he was _good_ at volleyball. The way he leapt and handled the ball; watching him navigate the court as well as his team was something else. The scare with the alphas had given him a keen insight to their behavior, and even as a first year, he had his team eating out of his palm. Watching him navigate the older students was fascinating and menacing, and Iwaizumi had a front row position with prior knowledge of Oikawa’s previous innocence.

There was only one time that he tripped over his newfound power, and it was in his initial mistake. Of course the team would notice a bite mark on a middle school student when they were in the changing room, and they were not as bone-headed as athletes had a reputation to be. They put two and two together, and Iwaizumi observed how Oikawa went from being the prodigy first year to being, in their words, _a slut._

 _“Why’d you bite him?”_ they challenged. _“You’re like those omegas who collect husbands. You’re not even in high school and one isn’t enough for you?”_

The confidence Oikawa had earned left his eyes like a ghost. It was bad enough he and Iwaizumi had been on tough footing ever since that first week, but now he looked to Iwaizumi as he always had.

The alpha sighed. Suddenly, nothing else mattered. He could either leave the omega to his curse or he could be the marked alpha that he was.

Grudges took too much effort anyway.

_“He’s an idiot but he’s my idiot. Understand?”_

The alphas all pivoted to look at him. Oikawa was not the only one who had earned a reputation, and even the upper class men lowered their eyes. _“It’s your life, man,”_ one of them commented before the matter settled for good.

From that point onward, Oikawa managed the teammates like only a master omega could. Iwaizumi had to admit, this was the cleverest thing he had ever managed. Instead of trying to play alpha, Oikawa used the hormones genetically granted to him along with his height to constantly surprise them, consistently gaining their approval, admiration, and trust before he finally had their obedience. Even outside of the court, he had control over the clusters of girls that flocked around him. The only time he ever didn’t was when a new alpha joined the team.

They were playing three against three during practice in their second year, and Oikawa was already captain since their senpai had graduated. Iwaizumi had played first and was on the bench rehydrating, but his brows lifted the first time he saw Kageyama Tobio play.

To say the skinny alpha was talented would have been an understatement, but where Oikawa’s confidence was either earned or faked, this kid was loaded for bear. Where he had gotten so much esteem, he did not know, but Oikawa glanced at Iwaizumi with the same thoughts in his eyes. Kageyama-kun was quicker than Oikawa and certainly had an idea for leadership but he was awful at reading the situation. It made for comic relief, though, seeing the alpha follow Oikawa around like he was the map to the stars.

Well, maybe Oikawa was.

*******

“Ooo! There’s Venus!” he chimed, pointing at the sky. The tiny beta sitting between him and Iwaizumi looked up while sipping through the straw of an iced tea.

“That’s a star.”

“Nuh-uh,” Oikawa declared in his senpai voice. “Venus is the morning star because she’s so bright. Being a planet, she reflects the sun’s light to us as brightly as a star, so you can see her in the day.”

The beta turned to Iwaizumi. “Is he right?”

He nodded once. “This time, yes.”

“I’m right most times!”

“That’s an opinion.”

“So mean, Iwa-chan!” he leaned down close to the beta. “Don’t be fooled. He’s only nice because you’re here. He’s only mean to me.”

“Because you’re the one I love, dumbass.”

Silence. Iwaizumi peeked down to find beta and omega staring at him. Oikawa looked as if he was waiting for another sarcastic retort, but when it didn’t come, he asked the kid, “Do you have parents?”

“Huh? Yeah, there,” he pointed to the couple sitting under a tree, lazily watching them.

“The fireworks are about to start. Go sit with them.”

The youth stood up and took a step before he spun around and bowed at the hips, holding out the tea. “Thank you for the tea!”

Iwaizumi lifted a hand to push it back to them. “Keep it.”

The kid was running away even as they called, “Arigatou gozaimasu!”

Before Iwaizumi could smile he felt a presence right next to him. Oikawa had moved on the coverlet and Iwaizumi did not even have enough room to turn his head. “Did you mean it?”

“Mean what?”

He pouted. “Hajime.”

“What? This is a date, isn’t it?”

“Just say it, Iwa-chan.”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I meant it. Against my better judgement.”

“Then that’s not an excuse!” he cried right in the alpha’s ear. “You shouldn’t be cruel to the one you like!”

“I said love.”

Oikawa opened his mouth wide to speak but then shut it again. He averted his eyes. “Still, I won’t forgive you if you’re mean to me forever.”

“Then you shouldn’t have bitten me.”

His attention jerked up. “I was—”

Hajime kissed him as the first pink fireworks exploded in the sky. Oikawa heard them dully in the back of his thoughts, the forefront occupied with the softness tickling his lips once, then twice, and again. Gently, and tasting faintly of sweet green tea.

“I know,” Iwaizumo purred. “But you’re not scared any more. Neither am I.”

Blue glittering fireworks cast Tooru’s surprise in shades of periwinkle and then his smile in gold. The soft smile. The real one and the one Iwaizumi loved. He pressed his lips to it again, for once not minding when he heard giggles around them.

*******

Iwaizumi’s head fell back as Oikawa sucked on his neck. His arms were around the alpha’s waist while he lavished his neck with licks, soft kisses, and hard sucks on his gland. The keycard to their hotel room slid into the lock as Oikawa’s attention went to the spot behind Iwaizumi’s ear. They were barely through the door as his yukata became far from presentable. Oikawa kicked the door closed while his hands went to the alpha’s hips and lower, plunging inside his underwear. He found Iwaizumi’s length and pumped it inside his fist while his other hand massaged underneath.

“Stand up, I can’t reach,” Oikawa whined deep in his chest. Iwaizumi exhaled heavily, his weight supported by the taller man. “It’s not fair. You’re supposed to be the one seducing me.”

Iwaizumi put his weight back on his feet and twisted in his arms, facing Oikawa and yanking him down for a messy, ravenous exploration of his mouth. Iwaizumi kissed each corner of his lips, tilting his head from one side and then the other as if to test the angle of suppleness and then pushed Oikawa’s lips open. The tip of his tongue licked the seam of his mouth until it parted and he traced Oikawa’s lips before the omega’s tongue met his for a slippery dance that had him pushing Iwaizumi backward towards the bed. Iwaizumi’s hands were in his hair, finding the hair decorations and throwing them aside, giving his fingers free roam of the soft tresses.

Oikawa shivered and the tremors bloomed into giggles. “You always kiss the same, Iwa-chan. So impatient and greedy.”

“You’ve never complained,” he breathed huskily, leaving light, audible kisses on his lips.

Oikawa smiled. “I would never.”

His palms found Iwaizumi’s chest and slid under the yukata. His lips sucked hard on his neck and collarbone while the tie of Iwaizumi’s yukata fell to the floor and his hands wandered over his ass. Occasionally they rose up to dust over the sides of the alpha’s ribs, and Iwaizumi could feel Oikawa grin as he worried his ear between teeth and lips. “You’re trembling.”

“Do you need to narrate everything?”

“You like my voice.”

“You like your voice.”

“Then you talk,” Oikawa murmured, suddenly breathless before he clamped his teeth over the alpha’s gland.

“NGH!” His teeth clenched as he felt the familiar rush of heat and sensations through the muscles of his neck and back. Oikawa lavished his gland with licks, kissing and nuzzling until Iwaizumi felt like his head was going to explode.

“Oh!” Oikawa yelped when he was thrown onto the bed. His limbs writhed pleasantly when he landed. “Hajime, so alpha.”

Instead of responding, he climbed over him and pulled the tie of his yukata and ran a hand from his hip to his thigh—

He looked down. “Tooru, have you not been wearing underwear this entire time?”

“Why should I?” he chimed, grazing his fingers along Iwaizumi's nape.

“You’re wearing white.”

He grinned giddily. “Can I be your bride, Hajime?”

Against his better esteem, the alpha blushed garnet all the way through his neck. “You already are, idiot.”

Oikawa’s eyelids fell to half-mast. “I mean…literally.”

Iwaizumi paused, his eyebrows lifting. “You want a wedding?”

Those eyes rolled. “I want you to properly ask first.” Iwaizumi’s eyes crossed as his nose was pinched. “On one knee and everything.”

He frowned. “I’m already shorter than you.”

Oikawa giggled and uttered something like _So touchy,_ but Iwaizumi had dived down to suck hard on one of his glands. They had not bothered to turn on a light, but the dark crescent of scar tissue could be seen there.

“I want to be yours, Hajime,” he whined.

“You already are,” he growled wantonly, nibbling all the way from that gland, up his neck and to his ear.

“I want all of it,” he hummed eagerly. “And a ring so people stop looking.”

Iwaizumi was working his way down his chest now, leaving wet marks behind his kisses before he made the omega jerk when he reached a nipple. “They’ll always look. You enjoy it part of the time.”

“I enjoy them looking at my skills, not my face—ah! I’ve—mmh—earned those. If my face changed, no one would look.”

Hajime chuckled deeply, the low velvet hitting right in Tooru’s core and making his scent rise from between his legs. “All right, princess. I’ll value you for who you are.”

He already had his mouth on Oikawa’s cock when the swat landed on his head. He grunted illiterately. “Don’t tease me unless it’s erotic,” Tooru scolded.

A wet sound came from Hajime rising from base to tip. He wagged his tongue around the head and then sucked hard enough for a pop to be heard behind Tooru’s sighs. “I’ve always been here, haven’t I?”

Oikawa peered down, not fully understanding, but his head fell back as his spine arched off the bed. Iwaizumi already plunged two fingers inside his ass without warning and was swirling them across his prostate mercilessly. “Your heat must be soon,” he purred, leaving hickies across Tooru’s inner thighs. “It’s quite wet here.”

“N-Not until,” he exhaled in a rush. “Another two weeks—mm!”

And then Iwaizumi smiled. Not mischievously, but kind and so unhindered that Tooru’s hands lifted lethargically push his hair off of his face. “Are you flirting with me?”

“Don’t use my words against me!” he sobbed, but not out of sadness.

“I’ve always been right _here,”_ Iwaizumi repeated darkly, kissing the base of his erection and his lower abdomen. “Since our first time, the glands here remember me. That’s why you’re wet and throbbing already. Even if someone—”

“Don’t say that!”

“If they bit you before me, they would taste me on you, inside you. I’ve never been the impatient one here.”

Tooru was shivering but not from cold. “Iwa-chan…” he whined, and the alpha was weak to his mate’s cry. He climbed up so Tooru’s hands could shove his underwear off his hips and then he kicked them to the floor. He meant to take longer, but Tooru’s legs wrapped around him tightly and held him down. “A lot of talk from someone who bit me back.”

Hajime hummed, the vibration reaching between his chest and Tooru’s. “Do you remember the first time I seduced you?” the omega giggled.

“You mean the first time I yanked you into my room after practice?” Iwaizumi reiterated. 

“I seduced you,” he repeated.

Hajime did not even bother opening his eyes during their kiss. “If you ever seduced me it was on the playground that first day. Eventually I got tired of suffering heats without you.”

Tooru was quiet for a moment. Then, “Did you chafe from masturbating to me?”

Hajime jerked the pillow out from under the omega’s head to smother him. The pillow hit the floor next, and then Hajime was inside him, thrust in to the hilt so Tooru cried out. He was close, unbearably close and Hajime knew it, thrusting into him mercilessly and grinding a little bit each time he was in; rotating his hips to change the pressure and momentum so Tooru was rocking on the bed.

Their pace escalated smoothly but swiftly, and the next he knew, Tooru’s head was pinned to the mattress by Hajime’s hand in his hair. “Do you…” Hajime bit out. “Remember what you said?”

He did not need to explain when. Because then his jaws closed on Tooru’s other gland, and for the briefest of moments he tasted the Tooru from that playground. The icy freshness of orange ice pops and the heat of summer grass during the sunset. And then it flushed with lemonade and red bean as his own essence claimed the omega. Sunsets infused with violet nights and winking stars.

He giggled, _“Finally.”_

They fucked some more. Hajime took him from the back, holding onto his shoulder so Tooru’s grip on the headboard did not disrupt the neighbors and then he took him from the front again, done with talking and just wanting any part of Tooru he could get on his tongue, his lips.

Iwaizumi did not know how long he had been asleep or maybe he never was, because Oikawa’s soft voice hit his ears like he was wide awake.

“Hajime?”

“Mm.”

“Can we get out of Tokyo? Go to Karuizawa. I want to see the stars.”

“You always want to see the stars.”

“Can we?”

“Yeah.”

He felt Tooru snuggle alongside him, finding all of his curves and crevices as he threw a leg over the alpha's ass. Iwaizumi draped an arm over his waist. Tooru’s breath on his cheek and shoulder was the last thing Hajime comprehended before he fell deeply unconscious.

Yes, he should have taken everything as an omen. Because as much trouble as Oikawa Tooru attracted, he only ever offered Iwaizumi sweetness.


	2. True Alpha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iwa and Oikawa share wisdom to Kyotani and Yahaba, who find a unique bond in sharing their anxieties about the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally I was going to devote a separate one shot to Kyotani and Yahaba but I wanted the Iwaoi fluff as well so this works better as an epilogue to Map to the Stars.
> 
> ....Plus I'm impatient to get to Bokuto and Akaashi <3

Kyotani Kentaro wiped sweat from his brow as he watched the ball soar across the court. A growl rumbled in his throat as the spike turned into a chance ball and it was coming back across the net. His feet moved on instinct, blood rushing through his legs—

“Wait! NGH!”

Bones smacked together. Kyotani’s vision tore to his right but they landed in a heap on the floor. He and Yahaba Shigeru managed to perk their heads up in time to hear the ball land far out of bounds. Kyotani was already gritting his teeth, but his lips pressed together when Yahaba rounded on him.

“Baka! What the hell was that? You take ‘eye on the ball’ too literally! There are five other people here, not just you! I’ve told you this!”

“I do know,” Kyotani uttered, but quietly. “You could have gotten out of my way.”

“You should have called it yours!” Yahaba bristled. “You never speak. All you do to communicate is brute force. We share this court.”

“I know,” he repeated mutely.

“Then prove it!” Yahaba stormed, but only before a grimace overcame his face. “Instead of nearly dislocating things.”

Kyotani blinked, eyes widening. “Did I…?”

“No.” Yahaba got to his knees, holding his shoulder while the other hand was lifted to halt his concern. “I’m fine.”

Coach Irahata came to stand over them. “Nonetheless, Yahaba, I want you looked at. Grab a water and see the nurse for an ice pack.”

“Yes, Coach,” he nodded, and left the gymnasium. Kyotani frowned as he watched him disappear into the orange evening.

“Ohohohoho, as the owls say,” a voice crept beside him. The furrow between Kyotani’s brows deepened as he glared at Oikawa. “Feeling concern for your mistakes? No one can call you a slow learner.”

The glare momentarily evaporated when Oikawa slammed a palm on Kyotani’s back. “Kawaii kouhai, you’ll work it out. Just let your eyes wander a little when you play.”

“Baka-kawa! We’re starting a new set! Help me tighten the net!” came Iwaizumi’s voice.

Oikawa whirled around. “Baka-zumi! Call me something more affectionate!”

Regardless, he went to the other side of the net and Kyotani watched the pair of them bicker while they prepared for a new game. A new voice was beside him, and Kyotani’s spine stood straight for his coach. “He’s not wrong. If those two could lead our team to so many victories, I have faith in you and Yahaba.”

Kyotani’s torso angled at the hips. “Yes, sir.”

“But Yahaba’s right too,” his voice dropped a tone. “The key is communication. Despite their faults, Iwaizumi and Oikawa are best at communicating to one another, and this isn’t done through words…but words can certainly help.”

Kyotani gazed at him for a time before he voiced, “Coach?”

He chuckled deep in his chest. “You’re a quiet alpha. That’s a nice reprieve, but practice listening to your teammates. They’ll tell you their location so you can fly without breaking anything, but if the way to the ball is not open, then it is not yours to have.”

“Nice serve!” sounded as the next game began. Coach Irahata beckoned him to the bench with the command. “Watch.”

The captains were on the same team with Hanamaki and this proved disastrous for the other side. The first set was quickly coming to a close and Kyotani was not surprised when Iwaizumi spiked the match point, but the coach prompted, “Notice anything?”

Kyotani was observing but he could not pinpoint anything in particular. “They are not speaking more than usual.”

“Because they don’t need to,” Irahata nodded. “It is the advantage of knowing someone for years, but they are still speaking to one another. Tell me how.”

The second set started with his other team members working fiercely to overcome their ace and captain. Iwaizumi and Hanamaki bent their knees, bracing for what was coming. Oikawa, however, watched tranquilly, seeing Iwaizumi return the serve and how the other side prepared a timed attack. Then he looked at Hanamaki.

The ball came over the net, and even though it was closer to Iwaizumi, Hanamaki received it. The ball went up for Oikawa to set it, and Iwaizumi spiked it through the block. Kyotani realized if Iwaizumi had initially received it, then Hanamaki would have been the one to spike and his strength was not enough to break through the block.

“He just…looked.”

“Indeed,” Irahata commended. “So it doesn’t take much. This should inspire you. Your teammates are listening. Just give them something to work with.”

Kyotani’s chin dropped in a nod, watching the captains smack hands and share their success with Hanamaki. He observed how Oikawa sent messages across the court with mere looks or directly pointing his fingers, and also how Iwaizumi received them. Kyotani knew the pair was bonded but he felt the same sensitivity in Hanamaki; as if the air around him was receptive to something Oikawa was giving.

There were mistakes of course. Iwaizumi dived and the ball went in the wrong direction. Even Oikawa’s serves hit the net on occasion. Kyotani was particularly interested in when the captains were on different teams. That was when their knowledge of each other made for a unique game, but it was fascinating to see Iwaizumi take control of his side, and Oikawa played on the wing for Watari to take the lead. The dialect of the messages changed slightly, but the language was the same. They were simply paying attention to one another.

Kyotani’s lips parted, ready to say this to his coach but his eyes found a figure returning to the gymnasium. Yahaba’s shoulder was bound in tape with an ice pack, but the nurse had sent him away with a cup of tea, which he paused to throw away. His attention perked up to see Kyotani beside him, bowing. “I am sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Yahaba said before a _crunch._ Kyotani looked up to see a cup of dried sweet potato chips being offered to him. Kyotani’s customary glare was frozen on it until Yahaba rattled the cup again. “Natural sugar helps restore your muscles when you’re working hard. I can’t say they’ll fix your face though.”

Kyotani blinked and accepted the purple chip. “My face?” he asked as he followed around the game to where Yahaba went to sit on a bench.

“It tends to stick in the same expression,” Yahaba reminded, but kindly. He set the cup between them for easy access, but then noticed that Kyotani did not touch them. “You can have more of these.”

“The nurse gave them to you.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t share them.”

“They’re yours.”

“You might be the only alpha who wouldn’t accept food offered to him,” Yahaba smarted.

Kyotani did not know how to respond to that, and he said as much. “I’m not hungry.”

Yahaba laughed. “No, you’re not selfish. Which is a surprise considering how you play.”

Was this…a…compliment? Before Kyotani could ask, Oikawa and Iwaizumi on the other side of the gym distracted them. “The second years have clean up duty. If you stay to practice we’ll have to do it!”

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa complained. “That crow’s been practicing a floating serve! I can’t tarnish now!”

“Balls. Down,” the ace ordered. “I’m not missing the last train home because of you. We’ll practice at home. Go shower.”

Oikawa made a face as he marched to the gym doors. “Stingy, Iwa…you’re buying the meat buns tonight!” he chirped before dashing outside.

As if nothing had happened, Yahaba continued, “Although I suppose I admire your gumption, even though you could tone it down a little. Or maybe find a calmer hobby…you could be like the samurai; your job is war but your hobby is peaceful. I wouldn’t have believed Oikawa liked astronomy until I saw him stare through a telescope for an hour. He dragged the whole team outside in the dead of winter to see a meteor shower once.” He met Kyotani’s blunt stare. “It’s perfectly healthy to have interests other than school activities,” he smarted.

Kyotani could not pinpoint why, but this shocked him. Perhaps it was that Yahaba likened him to a samurai, or that Yahaba had interests other than volleyball. He settled on the latter: “Do you?”

“Sure,” Yahaba shrugged. Kyotani met a wall of disappointment as his teammate rose to walk along the row of benches without saying any more. He met Coach Irahata who was not letting him off even if his shoulder was bound, but Yahaba was not one to avoid his duties to the team.

Iwaizumi took his place on the bench. “Are you two all right?”

A gruff sound left Kyotani’s throat as he nodded. Iwaizumi squeezed his water bottle and swallowed before he said, “Good. Yahaba’s not the type to hold grudges.”

Kyotani looked at his knees. “I know I’m…difficult.”

In his peripheral vision he saw Iwaizumi turn to look at him but when Kyotani lifted his chin, the gaze he met was far from a stern captain. Iwaizumi said gently, “You’re hardly the most difficult person here. Don’t worry about it. As long as you make an effort, that’s what matters.”

It did not take long to guess of whom Iwaizumi was be speaking. Kyotani blurted, “Why him? You don’t fit at all.”

To his surprise, Iwaizumi barked a laugh. “No, we don’t, do we?”

Kyotani’s lips pursed, his frown deepening. “Then why him? He annoys you.”

And then a soft smile formed on Iwaizumi’s lips, an expression Kyotani had never seen and was sure Iwaizumi was not even aware he was making. It was…delicate, but simultaneously strong. Certain. “Yeah, he annoys me. But as much of a nuisance as he is when he’s with me…it’s painful when he’s not.”

Something changed in the alpha’s tone. All surety left it to be replaced with a fragile agony. Iwaizumi was looking out of the gym doors, through which Oikawa had recently disappeared. Kyotani’s eyes widened. “Now?”

Iwaizumi nodded once. “Yes. Now. The world is…tilted or something. Doors are unhinged, and when they are unhinged, they don’t open. But Tooru bursts through them like they’ve been oiled for him.”

He laughed suddenly, taking Kyotani aback. “It’s stupid. But I can’t explain it any other way. He’s mine, and maybe it’s because we met when we were so young that I can’t imagine anything else without him, but I also don’t want to. I think that’s the difference.”

He met his kouhai’s amazed gaze. “You want them more than air, because you’re not yourself without them. They make you better, who you want to be. Don’t you dare ever tell him I said that.”

Kyotani’s demeanor became tranquil as he gazed at their knees, and then, “Is it true you bonded in middle school?”

The corners of Iwaizumi’s mouth curved downward. “Yes. It was reckless.”

“Why?”

Iwaizumi heaved a sigh. “Well, for starters, my mother thought I was dying. The idiot bit me and started my rut. I had to go through an oppressive phase of using cologne in order to hide Tooru’s smell on me. It helped that volleyball with other alphas masked it as well before Tooru and I bonded properly.”

“His parents?”

Iwaizumi shook his head. “I didn’t bite him until our senior year of middle school.”

“Still young,” Kyotani pointed out.

His elder shrugged. “Yeah, well, I was mated and wanted my idiot omega. I’m not saying doing it young makes us right. I think we’re lucky. Stupidly lucky. I’m not saying it’s been easy or will be easy, but again, I want him, and the thought of going without him makes me want to fight.”

Kyotani could smell this, could feel the very shift in the air of Iwaizumi’s own words taking affect on him. To doubt his love for the omega would have been a deathly fallacy. So much so that Iwaizumi shook his head and stood. “I need to go to him. I get uneasy if we’re apart too long. He’s likely gotten himself into something he can’t charm his way out of. Most alphas talk of wanting a beautiful mate. It’s a goddamn nuisance.”

As he left the gym, Kyotani mumbled, “Yahaba’s beautiful.”

He did not realize Iwaizumi had heard him until the alpha stopped and smirked at him. “Yeah he is. His hobby is cooking. Good luck.”

It was one of the rare occasions anger dissipated from his face in favor of another emotion. Iwaizumi smiled at Kyotani’s shock on his way out of the gym. He did not know how long he sat thinking before he heard his name, and looked to find Yahaba waving him over. “We have to clean and lock the place up! Grab a broom, I only have one arm.” 

He could feel the eyes of his other teammates on him as he did as he was told. As if he didn’t have ears, someone muttered, “Is the Mad Dog…cleaning?”

Yahaba barked loudly, “You volunteering instead?”

The players yipped and scurried out of the gym, leaving Kyotani with Watari and Yahaba, who picked up balls with his functioning arm while the others swept the floor. Yahaba kicked a wedge under the door of the supply closet while Watari and Kyotani loosened the net from its posts and rolled it up for storage. “I think that’s about it,” Yahaba called as violet light was coming through the windows. “I’ll lock up.”

“Good practice!” Watari returned, waving on his way out of the gym. “See you tomorrow.”

Yahaba returned the wave and then pushed the baskets of volleyballs into the closet. His head swiveled to make sure everything was in its correct place and then went to the door for the wedge but…he wiggled the door, feeling how tightly the wedge had been kicked underneath it, plus the summer’s humidity had swollen the wood—

A tan hand entered his vision, gripping the wedge and giving it a yank the same time the door was pushed in the other direction. The two separated rather easily. Yahaba met Kyotani’s indifferent stare. “I knew you were strong but…seeing it in a different context is different somehow. Thank you.”

He took the wedge to set in on the windowsill beside the closet and took the key from his pocket to lock it. When he rotated, Kyotani was still there, and slightly…redder than before. “You can leave. I’ve got it.”

Kyotani looked at him as if he had decided upon something. Was he taller? Or not slouching for once? “You haven’t finished.”

Yahaba shrugged. “No, but it’s just locking the doors and turning off the lights.”

“I’ll stay.”

Yahaba’s brows lifted but he did not mind. “Could you get the light switches on that side, then?”

Kyotani found the ones he meant and soon the gymnasium was shut beneath the setting sun. Hues of orange, indigo, and violet adorned the evening heat as Yahaba locked the last door and then sat on the stoop to pick at the tape on his shoulder. When Kyotani did not move from beside him, Yahaba glanced up his lanky frame and explained, “I was only supposed to wear this for twenty minutes. The ice is leaking. Using packing tape for this seems a bit excessive—”

Kyotani found the edge of the tape and it squawked as he pulled. He sat down to hold Yahaba’s arm to avoid jarring it from pulling on the tape. “Do you have perfect vision too?” Yahaba teased. “It would have taken me five minutes to find where the tape ended.”

Kyotani rolled a shoulder in a shrug. “It’s my fault.”

“Aah,” the former sighed. “Don’t beat yourself up over it. If I can receive Iwaizumi’s spikes, I think I can handle your dead weight from time to time. Just don’t make it a habit, okay?”

Kyotani pinched the corner of the bag where the leak was and removed it from his shoulder. “I’m sorry, again.”

“Thanks. I shouldn’t have blown up at you. I’m…” Yahaba hesitated, and the wait was so long Kyotani had accepted that he was not going to finish. “Afriad.”

Kyotani’s eyes widened. “Afraid?”

Then, Yahaba smiled at him. “My parents are betas. Even though I’m alpha, I’m not a strong one. Sure, Oikawa’s omega but…well, obviously that doesn’t matter. But…alphas and omegas are quite different aren’t they? From me, I mean. I’ve always considered myself more beta than anything, and Oikawa’s shoes are already quite large to fill. His skill at reading the game and his ability to command alphas is unparalleled. This might surprise you, but you can be an unruly lot of idiots.”

Kyotani felt his features softening as his chin lowered in a nod. For a moment they were both silent, simply sharing the space before Yahaba revealed, “Coach told me I’ll probably be captain once Oikawa graduates. I’ve been on edge about it.”

This time, Yahaba was the one to meet his gaze when Kyotani uttered, “Are you…surprised?”

“You’re not?” he countered.

Kyotani tried to contemplate this but there wasn’t much to process. “Why wouldn’t you be captain? You’re our setter after Oikawa.”

“The captain doesn’t need to be a setter,” he reminded.

Silence encompassed them again, but less tranquilly. Eventually Kyotani provided, “If you’re more beta, this means you have more of a level head than us. You’re able to see and think quickly. This makes you a great setter. And…people like you. You get along with everyone.”

He blinked, considering if he had more he wanted to say. When he found nothing, he nodded slightly and turned back to Yahaba, who was staring bluntly. “If only you were this smart on the court.”

Then Kyotani blushed scarlet. The alpha was not sure when he had burned so hot without a fever but more than anything it was Yahaba’s laughter and his eyes nearly squinting shut that captivated him. “I’ll follow you, captain,” he heard himself say.

Suddenly, he stood, and his heels landed heavily over the packed earth as he marched away. But Yahaba followed him. “Would you treat your future captain to wagashi? I think the festival’s still going on tomorrow night.”

Kyotani was too preoccupied to mentally juggle how he had just been asked on a date. He listened to Yahaba talk about food vendors he had noticed yesterday at the festival and which ones he wanted to revisit while they made their way to the changing room. Kyotani now saw Yahaba’s passion for food and wondered how he had not seen it before. He really needed to pay attention—

He held the door for Yahaba to enter the room first, but Kyotani saw Iwaizumi exit from the other door, freshly showered and leaving with his bag over his shoulder. He was headed straight for a figure staring up at the sky and the splash of stars defying Tokyo’s nightly glow to shine just a little bit brighter.

Oikawa startled when Iwaizumi’s bag hit the earth, and then again when he turned only to be overwhelmed by alpha. For Kyotani, the scene was unlike anything he had ever witnessed. Iwaizumi had already displayed more sensitivity than he had ever believed the alpha capable of having, but now he was with his mate, presumably alone. Being the smaller man, his head bowed heavily on Oikawa’s shoulder as his arms went around the omega’s waist.

Oikawa seemed surprised for a moment, frozen while he processed his mate’s needs and then smiled softly, his arms sliding over Hajime’s shoulders. Kyotani watched as Tooru supported his weight, planting his legs so he was strong while his otherwise soft kisses found Hajime’s temple, his cheekbone…dusting over his ear and hair and neck. Oikawa lavished his mate with love and nourishment, nuzzling his scent gland lethargically so Iwaizumi knew he had all the time in the world to be held.

No words.

Yet it was all there. As ignorant and uninvolved as Kyotani was, he could read and hear it loud and clearly. Leaving them with the stars, the changing room door shut behind him.

Meanwhile, Oikawa’s fingers carded through Hajime’s errant hair. “So, Karuizawa?”

Hajime sighed. “You can’t let me save a bit of money first?”

“My heat is in nine days,” Tooru revealed, purring huskily in his ear while he peppered kisses in his hair. “You buy the meat buns. Karuizawa will be my treat.”

Hajime’s lips were hot as his head lifted, his mouth dragging up Tooru’s throat. “Nine days,” he rasped, making Tooru shiver and audibly swallow. “Let’s make the reservations, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .....And yes, we'll probably see Iwaoi during a heat/weekend getaway in the country side.


	3. Alpha & Omega

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iwaizumi and Oikawa travel to an onsen hotel to spend their heats together.

Oikawa hummed as he packed his weekend bag, mentally checking things off as he went: _Heat pad…shirts…extra blankets, pillow, towels, Oreos, Pocky…underwear—don’t need that…pajama pants…what else…_

A brief melody rapped on his door. Oikawa whipped the door open, the rush of air causing Iwaizumi’s hair to flutter. “I didn’t hear mom open the door.”

“I let myself in. She gave me a key a while ago,” he replied, setting his own bag beside the door.

Oikawa heard the jingle of keys and caught the glint of metal going into Iwaizumi’s jean pocket. “What do you need the keys for?”

“I rented a car,” Iwaizumi informed.

Oikawa pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose while he shoved his contacts case into his bag. “I didn’t know you got your license. What happened to this being my treat?”

A smile flashed on Iwaizumi’s lips. “Just get packed already. I have the onsen’s menu memorized already—”

The wrapper of a tuna onigiri crinkled as Oikawa shoved it against his chest. “You’re always so hungry before our heats. I have more in my bag.”

Iwaizumi grimaced. “Do you have ice in there too? It’s a two and a half hour drive.”

“You’ll eat them before they spoil,” Oikawa disregarded as he shoved toiletries into the bag.

“Wait, wait,” Iwaizumi interrupted. He went into the bathroom attached to Oikawa’s room and found the canvas sack they had used during the festival. “Put what goes in the bathroom in this. It will make things easier to unpack when we get there.”

Iwaizumi began stuffing the sack with shampoo, contact solution, and emergency wet wipes whereas Oikawa leaned in and kissed his cheek. “You’re so clever, Hajime.” His nose buried in the damp hair on his nape. “Mm, you smell nice.”

A retort was ready on Iwaizumi’s tongue. His lips parted to let it fly—

He turned his head and caught Oikawa’s lips with his own instead. He kissed him softly, but their heads tilted too easily with familiarity for the kiss to deepen. He felt Oikawa lean into him, surrendering—

The pads of Iwaizumi’s fingers found Oikawa’s jaw and he gently pushed them apart. “At this rate we’ll induce our heats.”

Oikawa chuckled. “We can’t have that. You always smell nice after a shower though,” he said as he took up the job of toiletries.

“It may be a few days before we’re clean again,” Iwaizumi reminded before warmth rose to his cheeks. He pursed his lips and met Oikawa’s soft smile.

“You smell nice then too,” he purred.

Iwaizumi unwrapped the onigiri as if it was the object holding the world together. He crammed a corner of rice into his mouth. “Just hurry.”

Grabbing the last few items, Oikawa led the way downstairs and kissed his parents farewell. They hugged Iwaizumi along with a ‘Drive safely,’ and then they were on the road. They made good progress, with Iwaizumi often reaching back for the cache of rice balls before they stopped halfway for steamed buns. They would have made better time if Oikawa had not proclaimed he wanted to take a time lapse with his phone.

“Venus is out and the clouds are moving quickly over the mountains!” he defended. “And _memories,_ Iwa-chan.”

Iwaizumi bought a second helping of buns and dealt with Tooru taking pictures with his own phone in the meantime. He humored his mate by throwing up a peace sign with him a few times but when the buns were finished he picked up Tooru’s phone himself.

A thick mist was descending from the mountains as they pulled into the onsen property. A valet took Iwaizui’s keys and inside the concierge found Oikawa’s reservation for the private suite. He signed the papers and accepted his room key from her with a shining grin, but the beta responded with a mildly kind curve in comparison. She shared this smile with Iwaizumi as she handed him his key along with a map of the property. “The Bonded Suite is just to the right, along the walking path, and up the stairs through the trees. Lanterns on the stairs light the way. Enjoy your week, alpha and omega.”

Iwaizumi’s eyes were wandering over the map when he felt Oikawa’s hand slip into his pocket, seeking his hand to interlock their fingers. “Your hands are sweaty,” he commented but he did not remove his hand.

“The restaurant is that way, on the other side of the pond,” Iwaizumi gestured as they walked. “But we can get room service.”

“We have time, let’s use the restaurant tonight,” Oikawa chimed as his head swiveled, marveling at the creek swimming between the onsen’s buildings and the various lanterns casting a soothing ambiance. The lights twinkled from the branches of trees and floated on the water while chains held them anchored in place to the creek bed. Despite being the afternoon, the monsoon clouds cast a timeless haze over the sky and land; tiny moisture droplets danced on their cheeks and obscured Tooru’s spectacles while they explored their home for the next week.

They went to their suite to drop off their bags and unpack a little. The walk up to their building was more like a hike up the mountain, but the trees shrouded how close their suite was. Just up the stairs and around the corner, the solar powered lights embedded in the trail guided them to their door. The structure was angular and asymmetrical but inside was spacious with high ceilings, dark wooded rafters, and dim lighting. Iwaizumi felt as if he had been in the suite for two minutes when Oikawa sang, “How do I look?”

He turned from the sink where he had been unloading the bathroom bag to see his mate in the loungewear provided by the hotel: a loose pair of navy trousers with a matching robe top. He modeled the outfit for him with expectant eyes. Iwaizumi’s own outfit was clutched under Tooru’s arm before he handed it to him.

“They look like hospital scrubs,” he commented dryly as he approached to pluck Oikawa’s glasses off his face. He cleaned the humidity off the glass with a microfiber cloth he kept in his jacket.

Oikawa pouted. “They’re a bit more comfortable and romantic than scrubs. Have you seen our onsen?”

Curious, he handed back the glasses and followed Oikawa through the living room to their terrace. The house had been built into the rock of the mountain so the porch surface was stone around the steaming bath. Two potted purple orchids stood sentinel over a spread of onsen necessities: towels, water bottles and a carafe of tea in an ice bucket, as well as a covered dish with fresh fruit and vegetables on an ice platter. Oikawa hummed pleasantly as he bit into a wedge of watermelon. He held it up to Hajime, who leaned down for a bite, watching pink drops slip down the side of the fruit and over Oikawa’s fingertips. He slurped as sweetness infused his mouth. He hummed pleasantly.

Tooru giggled. “Let’s get to the restaurant before you eat everything here.”

Iwaizumi glanced back at the fruit longingly but Oikawa looped their arms together and pulled him back inside. He left the loungewear on the coffee table to change later, and they locked the door behind them. The keys had just landed in his jacket pocket before Oikawa’s palm slid along his, claiming his hand for walking.

“Oh,” he uttered, lifting Iwaizumi’s hand for inspection. “You washed your hands.”

“You complained,” he reminded.

“I would never,” he smiled. Hajime felt the words on his skin since Oikawa brought the back of his hand to his lips. Their hands were hung between their hips with Tooru’s thumb lazily stroking over his own.

As they traversed the stairs through the trees and followed the rustling waters to the main building, Oikawa felt Hajime’s hand twitch and his fingers clench ever so slightly. “We can be ourselves here,” he soothed quietly. “We’re not the only couple here.”

Iwaizumi’s features had settled into their customary mask, reminding him of Kyotani. Silly alphas. “Habit,” he said offhandedly.

Tooru watched him out of the corner of his eye to gauge his level of discomfort. They would not spend time around the hotel once his heat and Hajime’s rut started so he gave his hand a squeeze and released it. “Okay,” he said quietly.

A doorman opened the entrance of the restaurant for them, nodding to both Oikawa and Hajime as they passed through. From the ceiling hung bulbs at varying lengths, which had Oikawa prattling on about worms in caves that similarly hung from the ceiling in New Zealand or something, Iwaizumi’s stomach growled louder in his ears so he wasn’t sure.

“They glow so the light attracts flies and moths and stuff!” Tooru all but sang. “I mean it’s unappealing because worms are the ones making the glowing goo, but even worms need to eat…like Hajime’s fat mouth.”

“Mmh,” his mate acknowledged to an unimpressed Tooru. Oikawa watched him shovel rice and the assorted side dishes into his maw before his udon bowl arrived. Tooru nibbled on his sashimi while his gaze strayed sideways to notice a woman gazing at him.

No…not him… She was looking at Iwaizumi. Well, why wouldn’t she? Oikawa’s gaze returned to his alpha, observing how he crammed noodles into his mouth, albeit neatly. For an alpha on the fringe of his rut, he was a clean eater. His hair refused gravity but it was soft and dark as ink. His skin was naturally brown like almonds and healthy; his eyes nicely shaped and his mouth not too big… Why weren’t more people staring, was a better inquiry. It was nice to see someone appreciating Hajime instead of ogling him, for once. Of course Hajime was too busy stuffing his face to notice.

Tooru let his chin fall and he focused on his meal. The rice and vegetables were fresh and tasty, and the fish was just what he needed. He could feel his body relaxing from the influx of nutrients as if his blood vessels were opening for them—

“Did you say something?”

He perked up with his cheeks full of tuna. “Hm?”

Iwaizumi was staring at him with a puzzled frown. “You’re quiet. I thought you had said something.”

Oikawa swallowed and felt his cheeks ache from squeezing into a grin. “Nope!”

Iwaizumi blinked, his confusion going nowhere. “Do you have cramps?”

“No.”

“Is the food bad?”

“No?” Oikawa returned with equal confusion.

“Then why are you quiet?”

Oikawa sighed, feeling more exhausted as his stomach filled up. “I know I talk a lot sometimes. I don’t expect you to hear everything.”

The alpha’s frown deepened. “You’re mad because I wasn’t listening about the caves in New Zealand?”

The false smile on his face softened. “No, I’m not angry,” he insisted. “Even when you’re not listening you’re still listening to me.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

Oikawa’s leg found his under the table, simply to lean against Iwaizumi’s shin. “It’s okay.”

Iwaizumi’s eyebrows had formed a straight line at this point, but before he could say more, their waiter returned with a dish they had not ordered. He and Oikawa stared vacantly at it while the man explained, “Courtesy of the woman beside the window.”

 _There are a lot of windows,_ Iwaizumi almost retorted, but considering an entire wall was glass for an unobstructed view of the lush forest, he held his tongue. 

After the waiter had left, Oikawa lamented over the chocolate cake with berry preserves, “It’s a shame you’re allergic to raspberries. It smells good.”

“Then have it,” he offered before lifting his bowl to drink the broth.

“And have you explode in hives after kissing me?” Oikawa teased while his ankle rubbed against Iwaizumi’s. The alpha could not stop the curve to his lips as he set his bowl down and observed that Tooru was on his last bite of eggplant.

“Ready to go?”

Oikawa nodded around his mouthful, turning to stand from his chair—but stopped. Iwaizumi saw the shadow of a presence beside their table but his eyes were locked on Tooru, observing how he answered and gauging whether they were worth his time as well. Iwaizumi was ready to ignore it, except Oikawa’s gaze had snapped up. Then he smelled it. Alpha female.

He looked up at the bleached hair and circle lenses like she was a foreign creature. “Good afternoon,” she greeted. Her voice was deep but not unwelcoming. Like dark velvet. “Was the dessert not good? I can get something else for you.”

Iwaizumi continued to only stare, well, until Oikawa openly blurted, “Ehh?”

She deemed to move her eyes in the omega’s direction, but only out of courtesy without actually seeing him. “Alphas require a lot of energy during their ruts.”

“Oh,” Oikawa provided, “It’s no trouble, we can take care of it.”

She ignored him. “The desserts here are delicious but expensive. Allow me to split the cost, at least.”

“I packed sweets—” Oikawa began in what would have been a proud voice, but she intercepted, “Alphas are speaking, handsome. Hush.”

Hajime immediately decided not to like her. “I’m not interested, but thank you.”

She laughed, “You’re too kind. Come to my table, I have a dessert menu there.”

Iwaizumi held her gaze to say with as much patience as he could muster, “I refuse.”

She smiled. “Why ever would you do that?”

Oikawa cleared his throat in no subtle manner…and again, she ignored him. “There is a certain…need we alphas have isn’t there? A degree of passion the others can’t quite seem to match, wouldn’t you agree?”

At this point, Hajime could not help but huff a laugh, but whether it was at her audacity or just how dumb she was, he could not tell. “I understand it’s hard to tell because we argue. A lot. But I’m—”

 _With him,_ he would have finished, but their silverware jumped off the table and clattered to the floor when Tooru slammed his palms against the table to stand.

 _“He’s mine, you alpha bitch,”_ he growled in her face. _“You can’t tell over your ten thousand yen perfume but my scent’s all over him."_

Iwaizumi watched as if in a daze. The woman hardly seemed fazed. “I apologize,” she said mildly. “It is so subtle I never would have guessed.”

He silently stood from his chair, joining his mate on his feet. “That’s unnecessary. You’re being rude.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” she smiled at him.

Oikawa reared back as if he had been struck. He glanced around them at the eyes watching their exchange, how the mood shifted as if _he_ was the rude one.

“You’re young to hold such a burden,” she appraised. “Omegas can be difficult to train, especially when the lover is so young himself.”

She lifted her manicured hand toward Iwaizumi, and Tooru saw it as if through two different lenses, one moving too slow and the other too fast. He knocked her hand away before he’d meant to, before he felt himself moving. The table was gone and she was rapidly stepping backwards, as if only now was she aware of his height. It didn’t matter to him, the insult to omegas; it was the insinuation that he and Hajime were _temporary._

His voice was quiet in his ears, or maybe he was screaming, he could not tell. _“He is not my master, and I don’t buy him like you’re trying to do. He is my alpha as I am his omega and if you or anyone tries to reach between us, you’ll find an unbreakable chain on which you can hang.”_

_“Tooru.”_

The gasp in his throat was loud in his ears as the world felt like a rubber band breaking. He snapped back inside the restaurant, beside this table, in front of the alpha. He realized his hand was nearly to his collar, ready to show this entire fucking place that Hajime was his and his alone, and vice versa.

Iwaizumi’s hand had reached across his chest to cradle the other side of his head, simultaneously soothing and holding him in place. His forehead was gently touching Oikawa’s temple. His throat hurt. He had been screaming.

He blinked, and his eyes burned. The woman held her hands over her chest in defensive gesture, her own eyes rimmed with red. Oikawa could not remember ever seeing an alpha…submissive.

“Tooru,” Hajime whispered against his ear. “I’m full. Let’s go back.”

But he couldn’t move. The eyes around him were like heat lamps and his joints had locked in place. Iwaizumi nuzzled behind his ear gently, carefully coaxing him.

_Hajime._

His breath made the first syllable but the cogs of his mind had grinded to a stiff halt like the rest of his body. He thought he heard his breath finish, “...ime…”

“Mm,” the alpha voiced deep from his chest. “One step at a time. Let’s go. We haven’t made our nest yet.”

Somehow the sense of responsibility moved his feet. The restaurant passed by as the world does through a train window. The humidity had thickened into a drizzle but the steps up to their suite were already beneath his feet. He stopped in the yard before their door. He heard Iwaizumi managing the keys in the lock…

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

He could feel his hair being weighed down with moisture. “Oh…okay.”

The sound of Iwaizumi’s shoes twisting on the ground was heard as he looked at Oikawa. “Stop saying that.”

“Sorry.”

“Stop saying that too.”

Apparently Tooru was out of things to say then, because his lips pressed together as his chin slowly lowered. Hajime knew he was trying not to cry. “Tooru?”

“Mmsorry,” he choked. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Hajime. I’m sorry.”

Iwaizumi stepped forward in a rush. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” he tried to console.

“But I…” he sobbed. His hair covered his eyes but not his tears.

“You chose an awkward venue to be possessive,” Hajime smarted, “but she was the one out of line.”

The next moment was one in which Hajime knew his mouth had gotten the better of him. Oikawa did not respond at all. No retorts, nor sass, not even a tearstained glare.

Except, “I love you.”

Oikawa tried to sniffle, but his nasal passages were already blocked. “And I trust you. But I couldn’t help… She called us lovers. I couldn’t…”

Hajime stared at him with wide eyes. The last time he had seen Oikawa like this…had sealed his fate to the omega. “Couldn’t what?”

Tooru grimaced from a pain Hajime could not see. “If…if we were… _temporary…”_ The word rasped in his throat as if it was toxic, poisonous. “Iwa-chan, you’re mine, right? We’re forever?”

Out of every volleyball game he had lost, of all the moments he had felt anger or even the terror of when Tooru had first bitten him…nothing felt quite like this. Like a javelin to his heart.

“I shouldn’t have let go of your hand.”

Oikawa processed that and finally looked up at him. “I shouldn’t have been averse to holding your hand or you touching me. I’m proud you are my friend. I feel…lucky and stupid that you’re mine. I don’t understand how…”

Silent tears leaked down Toorus cheeks as he waited for him to find the mundane words for such ineffable feeling. “I don’t understand how you chose me when you could do anything. Anything. Nothing has ever stopped you.”

A grin abruptly flashed on Oikawa’s face. “Except you. You’ve never hesitated from stopping me…protecting me against the world and myself.”

The alpha held his omega’s eyes. He heard himself say, “Because you’re mine. Why wouldn’t I when this is forever?”

“IWA-CHAN!” the omega all but screamed as tears rolled freely over his eyelids. His alpha caught him against his chest, and whether it was from Oikawa throwing himself there or Hajime pulling him, he could not tell and did not want to. His chest rumbled loudly with the deep purrs of an alpha pleased and wanted, fulfilling his duty to his mate. Tooru’s own purrs were softer but present between sobs as his face rubbed against Iwaizumi’s shirt, finding the pockets of heat and scent to bury against.

Hajime stroked his hair and nape, initially only humming but soon saying incoherent words against his scalp, which then formed phrases he realized were undeniable. “There’s nothing to be helped. Have me. Claim me, omega. My omega. Tooru-kun…sweet heart, shh…”

Oikawa’s arms eventually went around his waist while he cried and the rain steadily sprinkled over them. The alpha began to distinguish words within the sobs. “I’m sorry, Iwa-chan,” sniffle, “I didn’t mean to get angry.”

“We’ve already covered this, baka,” he said, but in the softest voice. “We can be ourselves here, even if we’re angry. You can be yourself around me. I’m sorry I denied you that, especially so close to your heat. I love you.”

“Hajime,” he said weakly, but his alpha cut him off by lifting his jaw. He pecked Oikawa’s lips gently, not intrusively so he could coax the omega further out of his stupor.

He felt the vibrations of his own purrs in his throat, the rumble of them in his husky voice as he said, “I liked hearing you roar for me. Do you know what that feels like?”

“Embarrassing,” Tooru croaked. His eyes avoided Hajime’s, ruddy and glistening like the tip of his nose.

Hajime’s eyelids drooped to half-mast. “I just said I liked it, and you’re upset so you haven’t noticed this.”

Oikawa’s eyes widened when his pelvis was pulled against Iwaizumi’s. “Hajime!”

The alpha tilted his head, a smile flashing on his lips, “Omegas don’t roar, baby. At least, not unless they’re royalty.”

Oikawa pouted. “You’re making fun of me.”

He chuckled warmly. “Only a little. It really is rare, though, an omega making an alpha submissive.”

“I didn’t want her to be submissive,” he defended.

“Didn’t you?”

“I…” Oikawa doubted. Hajime felt the hands on his jacket tighten. “I don’t know.” He shivered a little as his mate’s lips traced the curve of his ear. “I’ve never not been the one to get that sort of attention.”

Iwaizumi huffed right in his ear. “Don’t tell me you were jealous.”

“Of course not,” he returned, bringing curves to the alpha’s lips to hear the fight in his voice again. Then his eyes widened as Tooru continued, “Why wouldn’t she look at you? You’re perfect. But you’re mine, so I got scared.”

Iwaizumi swallowed thickly, feeling an ache behind his eyes. His own head lowered to Oikawa’s shoulder the same moment the omega commented, “Are your jeans okay?”

“Don’t say shit like this. I’m at my limit already.”

“Huh?” Tooru began, but the alpha moved against him, seeking friction. 

_Idiot,_ he might have barked, but instead he inhaled against Tooru’s throat. Distractedly he uttered, “You smell so good.”

The realization hit Oikawa as powerfully as the new scent rising from Hajime’s scent glands. “Iwa-chan, did I start your rut?”

“What do you think?” he blurted, his voice like gravel. “This wouldn’t be the first time, and you go and say those things like we’re unbreakable and I’m perfect, when I’m barely stopping myself from biting and fucking you on this lawn.”

He pulled himself away from Oikawa’s throat and the gland which was becoming more succulent to his frayed nerves…

His nostrils flared. Something changed in the air…rain had never smelled like that. Never this _good._ His dark, hooded eyes lifted to see a stupid, soft grin blooming on Tooru’s face. “My Hajime’s so gallant.”

He stood statuesque for what felt like an hour, simply watching the blush forming under Oikawa’s cheeks and throat, watching his eyelashes grow heavy and the rain soak his hair and stick to his temples. Hajime watched Tooru’s eyes flutter as he felt the first drip of slick find its way out of his hole. His lips looked swollen and they had hardly kissed yet. They parted for air and Hajime saw the glisten of a pink tongue. “Are you going to fuck me or watch me, alpha?” he uttered, and Hajime was powerless against the omega’s soft growl.

Their bodies all but slammed together, Iwaizumi biting and kissing his lips before he was consumed with the need to taste Oikawa. The omega hummed slightly in protest, “Gently,” and Iwaizumi felt himself tracing Tooru’s lips with his tongue, eager and pleading to do anything to make his mate happy.

He growled wantonly when Tooru’s hands gripped his shoulders, his nape, and the hair on the back of his head, anything to hold onto. “Take me inside…please, Hajime.”

His hands gripped Tooru’s waist and the omega let out a sound at being pulled suddenly. He had managed to get the door open earlier and he slammed it shut now, pinning Oikawa against it so he could peel off the top of the loungewear. Hajime yanked the collar to one side so he could lavish the gland with hot licks of his tongue, relishing Tooru’s trembles under the sensitive membrane.

His nostrils flared again when he smelled a rush of slick between Tooru’s legs. The omega blurted, “Oh!” when he was lifted by the backs of his thighs but Iwaizumi only got as far as the living room. Oikawa landed on the couch with a bounce before Iwaizumi pulled down the hem of his pants and he gasped against the bite on his ass. He shivered as molten slick rushed out of him.

He gripped the square arm of the couch as Hajime observed, “It’s a lot.”

“Mm—aah!” Oikawa breathed as he felt the alpha’s tongue plunge inside the ring of sore muscle. He felt like his pelvis was melting as more slick sought release, sought that mouth.

“It’s dripping down your legs.”

“Who was the one talking about narrating?” Tooru scolded.

“I forget how sensitive you are during this,” he apologized before pressing his face firmly against Oikawa’s ass cheeks. A plethora of whines and mewls escaped Tooru’s lips as he began rocking against the abuse of Hajime’s tongue. His nails bit into the faux leather as his cock leaked and spurted thick, milky fluid across the cushion.

Hajime perked up. “Did you cum?”

“Don’t tease me,” he whined, massaging his scrotum before Hajime’s hand replaced his. His back met the alpha’s chest when Iwaizumi leaned toward his ear.

“That’s the point. Why would I tease you?” He pushed the shirt finally over Tooru’s head so he could work his way back down his spine, planting kisses until he reached the base and his thumbs swirled into the tense muscle there. Oikawa mewled and leaned his ass back, his lungs pushing his ribs against his flesh like pale ghosts.

“Are you—mm—gonna put it in?”

“You’re not ready,” Hajime said. “Everything is too tense back here.”

“I can feel,” he breathed heavily, “the cramps are coming.”

“Then relax,” the alpha urged against his nape, leaving a wet kiss there. “I’ll be in you soon.”

“Take your jeans off,” Tooru insisted. “I want to smell you.” He leaned his head on his forearm as he looked back to see his mate undressing, how the grey and blue tones of the light made his skin look warmer and soft as it was revealed to him. The hoodie and jacket were off first, simply because the alpha’s body temperature was skyrocketing. Then his jeans were undone, the thatch of hair diving behind the zipper like an enticing shadow before Tooru saw the angle of hipbones. He inhaled deeply at the sight of smooth, strong thighs, liking how the light played on his alpha’s muscles. “You’re beautiful, Hajime.”

The alpha nearly face planted. He recovered from tripping over the leg of his jeans, but he stared accusatorily at the dewy smile from the other side of the couch. The chestnut hair was frizzy and flopped over the arm of the couch but Oikawa’s eyes glowed like warm amber.

The smile faltered when Iwaizumi grinned like a wolf. “Iwa-chan? Wait—what?”

His trousers were yanked off his hips and his body flopped unceremoniously when his legs were swept out from under him in the endeavor to be rid of the garment. All he could comprehend afterward was Iwaizumi diving between his legs and wiggling underneath him until the alpha lay with the omega straddling his hips. He lowered Tooru’s ass into the cradle of his hips. “That’s better,” he murmured.

Oikawa’s lips dusted over his brows and temple while a hand slid over Hajime’s chest, feeling the drum of his heart beating against his fingers. Iwaizumi’s own explored Tooru’s spine, finding all of the tense muscles and convincing them to trust him. Eventually Oikawa lifted off him with the complaint, “My hip is tight.”

“You overcompensate for your knee,” Iwaizumi said, remembering the old injury and scooting closer to the edge of the couch so Oikawa’s leg draped over the edge. “Better?”

“Yeah,” he sighed, rolling his pelvis against Iwaizumi’s cock. Hajime felt hot slick on his balls from Tooru’s movements before he resumed his task.

“Hold still.”

Oikawa tried but Hajime found the tender muscles in the center of his back, causing him to lurch forward as more slick dripped out. “Hajime…”

“Soon,” he promised, dragging his thumbs down either side of his spine before spiraling into the dense muscle of his lower back.

“Now! Please…” Oikawa almost sobbed.

Hajime sighed but his fingertips found Tooru’s entrance. “You’re never patient with this.”

Tooru’s jaw dropped as his forehead bonked against Hajime’s when he felt a delicious pressure inside him. “More.”

“Almost,” his mate promised. “You’re soft here but the walls are still stiff.”

Tooru inhaled for a retort but Hajime pulled his fingers over Tooru's prostate, simultaneously stimulating his walls and loosening him. He rocked gently with the drags of pleasure. Slick rushed out of him the same moment he came across Hajime’s stomach. One of the hands left his ass and Tooru opened his eyes to see the sucking sounds of Hajime licking his fingers.

Splaying his palm across the alpha’s chest, Oikawa pushed himself up and reached back for Hajime’s cock. “Are you ready?” the alpha startled.

“I’m always ready before you think I am,” his omega growled, and tipped his head back as he felt Hajime’s cockhead push through his entrance. The dragging heat inside of him was coupled with Hajime’s hand sliding over his throat and chest, of fingers tickling his nipples. A gasp hissed from him as he lowered over the base. The rush of air turned into a strained laugh. “This isn’t even your knot, silly alpha.”

Iwaizumi’s features settled and he sat up smoothly to support Tooru by his ass. “Slowly,” he whispered, kissing along his collarbone. “There’s no rush.”

Oikawa’s arms came around his shoulders, pulling him closer to smell the rain in his hair. His body’s cravings induced him to thrust his hips over Iwaizumi’s erection but the alpha stopped him with firm hands and ragged breath. “I need to be deeper. Breathe.”

“Iwa-chan…” Oikawa whined, but he shakily paused. His chest heaved as Iwaizumi lifted him up for slick to coat his penis, and then slowly, carefully lowered Oikawa over him. He felt Tooru's buttocks flex in his hands once he reached Tooru's point of resistance. Iwaizumi licked his gland, feeling the added tremors in Oikawa’s frame but also the areas in which he relaxed. Hajime’s teeth grazed over the thin membrane, nibbling the edges lightly. Oikawa audibly shivered but Iwaizumi slid into him, from hilt to tip.

They both took a moment to simply hold one another, the alpha reveling in his mate’s heat and Tooru sighing with relief as Hajime’s precum found the gland inside. The growing ache in his ass and abdomen subsided, allowing him to meet Hajime’s hooded gaze with clear eyes. It was his turn to tip the alpha’s chin up for his kiss, and the result was ravenous. Tooru felt Hajime’s hand on the back of his head, gripping his hair but not painfully. He fell backwards, taking Oikawa with him so he could lift his hips for slow but strong thrusts up into him.

Tooru broke from his mouth for air, propped as he was on Hajime’s chest as he rocked back onto his mate’s cock. He tried to lift more, voicing, “I need…it’s not quite—ah! There!”

Hajime put a hand against his chest to support the angle he needed while Tooru rolled his hips over him. His other hand went to the leg draping toward the floor, fingers clenching the muscle of his thigh.

“You…you feel good, Hajime.”

“Don’t stop, baby,” he cooed. “I’m close.”

“Mm!” Tooru grimaced, but it was out of bliss instead of pain. “I’m already…”

Hajime reached for his dripping erection, the very touch of his fingertips blowing Tooru’s eyes wide. His thrusts became erratic as he took his pleasure on Hajime’s cock and unloaded in his hand. Hajime wanted to lick every drop but the silken shaft squeezing around him was too much. His hands found Tooru’s ass and he lifted his hips once more, making the omega’s toes curl at the sensation of his alpha’s knot growing. His nails raked over Hajime’s chest, eliciting a delicious moan from such a husky baritone. Their mouths crashed together as he came, hard, inside Oikawa. His arms encompassed his waist, hugging him desperately as his knot sealed them together.

Tooru’s hands were on Hajime’s face as they tipped over. He felt the back of the couch against his spine so he was sandwiched between it and Hajime while his leg was still flung over his hip. Hajime did not stop ravaging his mouth, but his pursuit was slow, lazy but eager as he sucked in Tooru’s bottom lip for nibbles. One arm remained around Tooru’s waist but the other lifted so he could massage that hip, finding the tendon that was a tight cord while his mate purred contently.

After a while, though, Tooru voiced, “I want our nest.”

They were still knotted, but far from complaining, Hajime gathered Tooru in his arms and rolled off the couch to carry him up the stairs. Tooru let out a small whoop of thrill and recommenced kissing Hajime’s mouth as if he did not need his sight to navigate the stairs.

At their crest was the bedroom which was more of a loft than a full room; the bed took up the entire space. The ceiling was angled with a large skylight on which the summer rain sang. Hajime did break from the kiss to realize, “You already made the nest.”

Tooru tossed his glasses onto a soft corner of the large futon and nuzzled his hairline. “I put Oreos behind your pillow.”

The next he knew, Hajime was on top of him among the plush blankets, teeth buried within one of his glands. Far from being painful, his ankles cross behind Iwaizumi’s ass, his whole body tingling with the sensations of Hajime’s knot climbing up his body to meet the warm thrill of his mate’s mark. When the knot finally began to ebb, Tooru yanked a duvet around them and Hajime reached for the cookies.

*******

Hajime awoke with Tooru stretched across him, sound asleep. It was still raining as he stared at the skylight above them before his eyes wandered and found Tooru’s phone beside his weekend bag. Reaching for it, Hajime was confronted with the Lock Screen, or more aptly, a disgruntled image of himself with a cheerful Tooru behind him, happily putting ‘bunny ears' behind the points of his hair.

Swiping through, he sought the variety of images Tooru had taken on their way here. It was curious, the things he found interesting enough to take images of: beetles, fallen leaves, leaves still on branches and the sky beyond, a blurry selfie…and nearly two hundred pictures of Hajime in some form. His mouth full of meat bun, a bun paused in mid-lift with his mouth wide open, his gaze far off at something not in the frame…

Tooru mumbled something in his sleep when Hajime barely stopped himself from guffawing at one of the times Tooru tried to get the both of them in a picture. His own mouth was wide around a meat bun, of course, but Tooru was mid-blink and the picture was blurry. Hajime sent it to himself, making the mental note to save it as his background later.

He was putting the mobile back when he felt a drop of moisture slide down his ribcage. _Is he drooling?_ He was ready to roll Tooru onto the futon but when he leaned over to look, his mate’s features were strained. He was crying in his sleep from cramps.

Carefully rolling over, Hajime pushed Tooru onto his side so his back was snug against his chest. Lifting his thigh, he murmured, “Tooru,” as he slide his erection inside.

“Aahm!” Oikawa startled awake, shivering against the pain. “H-Hajime?”

“I’ve got you,” he rumbled, raking a hand through the omega’s hair to pull it away from the sweat on his face.

“I-I have cramps.”

“I know. I’ll take care of you.”

He left soft kisses on Tooru’s neck while his hand pumped his cock. He did not pull his penis out far for his thrusts, but it was not long before his knot swelled and Tooru’s body relaxed against him. Hajime did taste every drop this time; not as sweet as sugar, but just as welcome on his tongue.

*******

When he next awoke, Tooru’s weight on his arm was gone. So was the overlying comforter. It had stopped raining, and the omega sat with his elbows on the skylight window frame, staring up at the night sky with the comforter around him.

Wiping his eyes, Hajime wrapped himself in one of the other duvets and walked on his knees to slump against Tooru’s back. His chin fit right in the bend of his neck as he chimed softly, “Look, Mars is out tonight.”

Hajime glanced up to see the tiny copper speck in the sky before the crunching of a Pocky stick brought his gaze back down. Tooru pulled another from its box and placed it between his lips, but Hajime pushed the other side of his head so he could grip the other end in his own mouth. The chocolate was nice, but Hajime could not say he tasted much of it as they met half way with soft kisses. Eventually Tooru’s cold foot found Hajime’s warm calf.

“My bag’s downstairs,” he said afterward. “I brought socks.”

“Oh, I forgot,” Tooru said indifferently.

The expression on Hajime’s face was something like triumph. “You always do. I’ll get them.”

But Tooru’s arm curved backward to hold the alpha’s nape. “Don’t leave.”

His arms closed around Tooru’s waist. “It would only be a minute. You’ll get cold.”

“Then you’ll warm me up,” he pleaded huskily, nearing Hajime’s mouth. _“Don’t leave.”_

Hajime’s response was restricted by his omega’s kiss, until, “Then you’ll get your ring later.”

Tooru froze. His eyes did not move from Hajime’s face, which was slowly smirking. “What? You said you wanted one. I’m on my knees here.”

Hajime only had a moment to process the growing moisture in Tooru’s eyes before tears silently raced down his cheeks. He sighed. “Forever, crybaby. Come here.”

Tooru slumped against him but only momentarily. Sniffling gracelessly, he suddenly reared off of Hajime’s chest with, “Go get it! And bring the wet wipes. I’m sticky.”

“I’ll bring the fruit too?” Hajime guessed.

Tooru pouted but considered it. “Yes, please—oh!”

Leaving his duvet behind, Hajime carried Tooru and all down the stairs. “Too much trouble. I’ll just carry you to the onsen.”

Tooru blinked and then, “Well played, Hajime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for any typos, my eyes hurt haha

**Author's Note:**

> [My Tumblr](http://pondermoniums.tumblr.com/)  
>     
> [My Twitter](https://twitter.com/Pondermoniums)


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